China assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for November at a time of great tumult and uncertainty all over the world. Liu Jieyi, the permanent representative to the United Nations, will preside over the Security Council for the month, news reports said.
China serves as one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council
"As the rotating president of the Security Council, China will adhere to the principle of being objective, fair, efficient, pragmatic, open and transparent, and further strengthen communication and cooperation with other council members and all the parties concerned to ensure success of the work of the Security Council," Liu said in a statement to reporters.
"We are also committed to addressing issues of relevant regional hot-spots in a constructive way, so as to enable the Security Council to carry out its responsibility of maintaining international peace and security in an active manner," Liu added.
Issues in Africa and in the Middle East are expected to take center stage in November, a document distributed to reporters from the United Nations revealed.
In terms of the Syrian civil war, "We are concerned that things are not progressing as smoothly as we wish, and we would hope that efforts will be made with greater determination at the national, regional and international levels so that the relevant sides are persuaded to go to the negotiation table without pre-conditions and to really sit down and work out the political future of the country through negotiations and through dialogue," he said.
"An early peace conference would be in the fundamental interest of the Syrian people and the region and "give us the best way forward. China certainly will continue to work with the various sides so that they will move forward with this political process," Liu also said on Monday afternoon.
"Council members are scheduled to receive a briefing in consultations on the first monthly report on the implementation of resolution 2118, which required the verification and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons, most likely by Sigrid Kaag, the Special Coordinator of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-UN Joint Mission," according to the UN press release.
The UN human rights council recently criticized China during an official review of its human rights record, the BBC reported. Many members of the council expressed concern at their arbitrary arrests of dissidents and the continued use of the death penalty, and the country's use of torture in their prisons, news reports said.
